As I run around Vienna, the sound of the city that I hear isn’t one that you would assume given the numerous musical excerpts that could apply. No, the sound that dominates for me is that of the ambulance siren. It’s nothing to do with a 40 something man going for a run, I can assure you, it’s just a particular sound. Everywhere else in the world seems to have adopted the more American wailing kind of siren, but here in Vienna, the sound of the ambulance is still the same as all the cold war thrillers that punctuated TV viewing in my childhood. The empty (compared to london) streets of the 1960’s of central Europe seemed to have a permanent soundtrack of these distinctive sirens as spies danced in the shadows. For a while this morning, it’s as if the ghosts of the past are chasing me down. In Vienna, even the ambulances look back to another time. The sky on the long, wide streets are criss-crossed with electric cables which reflect the tram lines underfoot. The old ladies still walk around in long fur coats, the roads are all named after long dead composers and Sachertorte is reliably available in the Hotel Sacher. On the surface at least, it looks like nothing has changed for a hundred years.

Ambulance. Old and New.

Performing Mahler in Vienna is always an interesting proposition. There is of course Mahlerstrasse, plaques all over the place showing where he lived, pictures in restaurants of him taking his daily walk in the city when working at the Opera - we even perform in the same halls for goodness sake! I do wonder whether in 100 years from now, Mahler’s memory will have been similarly airbrushed, his relationship with the city now nothing but harmony and success. Will the statuettes on sale have changed that famous silhouette into something more commercial?

I don’t think so. As we play his 4th symphony, I can’t help noticing that every time a melody approaches a nice, satisfying line, Mahler sneers and subverts. As the strings soar, the clarinets and horns growl underneath. There are waltzes as one would expect in Vienna, but Mahler’s will never appear in the New Years day concert. The peasant violin in the 2nd movement seems to challenge the audience, it’s like a big sign saying, No romantic pretty playing required here! This subversion is in all of his works which makes it difficult to airbrush without leaving a blank page.

So will you be able to buy Mahler’s Chocolate Balls in 100 years? Well maybe, but bite underneath the sweet exterior and there will probably be something quite unexpected inside.

Thanks Gareth - how nice to have found your musings again after the LSO site has dropped them. Quite agree about Vienna, Mozart and Mahler. My memories of conferences in Vienna are of taxi drivers continually questioning me about the "wonderful music of Johann Strauss" and being tofally oblivious to Haydn, Beethoven, Schuberf, Mahler, Bruckner etc! Look forward to seeing and hearing you all tomorrow night.

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Gareth Davies

24/1/2015 02:20:09 pm

Thanks Paul! I'm glad you found me again!

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